Fallout 3 Walkthrough & Strategy Guide

The brunt of the destruction at Adams Air Force Base, whether recent or otherwise, seems to have been focused around the next area you're about to traverse. Half-destroyed hangars and debris piles are the only thing standing between you and the major tarmac at the base. Of course, the base's tarmac and surrounding buildings are littered with standard Enclave soldiers and Hellfire soldiers alike, so you're going to want to entrench yourself somewhere safe with your Tesla Cannon in hand as you deal with the brunt of the enemy forces. Thankfully, friendly Brotherhood forces are now pinching in from your right, as well, so expect the enemy focus to be split. This should make things much more manageable for you, though they won't forget you exist completely if that's what you were hoping for.

The air traffic control tower to your left is your next destination, though we recommend first walking around the gigantic tarmac spread before you. This will take some serious time, since the location is so vast, but there's some advantages to doing this. The first advantage is this will allow you to both destroy Enclave forces completely on the tarmac in addition to connecting with your Brotherhood friends. And while there aren't many items to be found (some ammunition in the fortification in the middle of the tarmac is about all you'll hope to find), you can still add the factory building to your local map on the far end of the runway (it's optional to visit that location -- we won't in this walkthrough). You'll also get to see firsthand the Sandcrawler-like structure that we're ultimately going to breach (for all of you Star Wars nerds out there). But before we do any of that, we must visit the air traffic control tower, so head there now.

Time spent in the air traffic control building will be short-lived. On the first floor, you only have one enemy to worry about, and it's a roving Sentry Bot that can be taken out easily enough with your Tesla Cannon. After destroying it, grab the Stimpaks (et cetera) from the multiple medical boxes on the first floor, as well as a Sniper Rifle lying around if you want it. Then, head up the staircase to the control room itself (the stairs leading into the basement are blocked off by debris). Once up here, seek out a computer terminal that won't require a hack. Select the ramp lowering option to lower the ramp on the mobile Enclave vehicle parked on the runway. Then, retreat back out of the tower, back into the building, and then ultimately, back outside.

When you're back outside, you'll find new enemies on the scene. Even if you cleared the entire tarmac of foes earlier, you're still going to be pressed with fighting at least a pair of new Enclave soldiers that were brought to your location after you lowered the ramp into their mobile fortress (I swear, Jawas won't pop out of it or anything). So, as usual, use your Tesla Cannon to down them from as far away from that as is reasonably possible, and scour their bodies for goods. Then, when all is quiet once more, approach the ramp that you lowered from the crawler, which will allow you access to the inside. We're getting close to this lengthy quest's conclusion.

Once inside, you'll see a force field blocking your way. Conveniently, there's a control panel to the left of the force field. Examine it and you'll be given some options. We opted to smash it, which worked just fine for us (though we sustained a little damage), but you can try the other option and see if it works for you (it should). Grab the two Conductors and Paint Gun from the toolbox underneath the control panel if you so desire, and then head forward. This initial floor of the crawler has a lot to offer, and few enemies (for the time being), so we recommend a wholesale exploration of this floor before you proceed onward via one of two exits, though hereafter, we're going to blaze through the rest of the quest, since sticking around and fighting to fully explore the area might spread your Stimpak supply far too thin. And trust us, you don't want to go down that precarious road.

First, head to your right. You'll find a mechanic here who is fixing some of the Enclave's robots. However, as you speak with him, you'll realize that he's really just a dude trying to get by. He agrees to help you, and gives you some information if you're nice to him. In return, you can let him run off with his robotic friends. As he scurries off, be sure to explore thoroughly. You'll find plenty of ammunition, a Stealth Boy, and some other goods. To down the various force fields that are blocking you from further exploration, set a timed device when prompted (examine the console near each force field to receive the prompt), and then take a minor amount of damage as you walk through. Curative items are especially in demand now, so thankfully, you'll find plenty of them. If you've been following our walkthrough, you should have found well over thirty Stimpaks by now. And you'll likely need every single one of them. And as for the ladder you encounter leading upward... well, ignore it..

On the other side of the "ground floor" of the crawler, things get a little more complicated. You'll find more force fields that you can down with the same technique you used earlier. However, behind one of these force fields is a contingent of elite Enclave soldiers that will all attack you en masse, all at once. When this occurs, fall back to a fortified position and get ready to deal with these enemies as best you can. Thankfully, your Tesla Cannon will make short work out of them, but the barrage of incoming fire will surely necessitate the use of a few Stimpaks. You may even want to use some of the Buffout you find down here on yourself to give yourself a statistical edge for the time being. When all of those enemies are downed and you're sure you've explore the totality of this floor, go up the stairs from where the soldiers stormed you. You'll eventually find a door that you should take to continue.